Barb says "No More"

After my outing today, I was looking through the days pictures and was excited to finally get a bird in the picture with Jake. I've been able to get each of my dogs in the past on point on wild birds where you could see the dog on point and the birds still holding. I wasn't sure I got the bird in the pictures until I got home and with enthusiasm I told Barb, "oh boy, come look at this." She pretended to be excited but I definitly got the feeling of "big deal."

Like most chukar hunters, I don't have much smarts. So I need an editor to correct my spelling and punctuations. Barb is mine and when I asked her to edit this blog she said she would,  but after this, no more pictures of Jake on point. People are getting tired of it. So I agreed to quit posting so much unless I have something more exciting to post about. Maybe seeing a bunch of baby chukars this summer might be acceptable.

Anyhow , she gave me the okay for these pictures. I'll keep it short.

We were out scouting for turkey when my Astro said Jake was on point 107 yards away. I located him and could tell by his point that he was making eye contact with a bird and by the area we were in it was probably a grouse. I couldn't see a bird but took the picture.

I looked for a bird but couldn't see it. I moved over behind Jake and zoomed in hoping that maybe I might find the bird. I still couldn't see one but after I got home I finally saw what was keeping Jake so intense.

Still not knowing where the bird was I moved in for the flush and actually snapped a picture quick enough to get both Jake and the grouse at the same time. You can see the grouse wings even though the tree is blocking the body.

I told my editor, "I probably would have got that grouse", and her final response was, "I doubt it."

Another day on the mountain

Jake and I have been scouring a lot of new country the last two weeks looking for birds. Any kind of game bird that wants to be pointed was fine with us. Thanks to Jake, we had some good luck. He found numerous chukars, huns, quail, and even a turkey to point. Most of the points were pretty darn good but for the third time now I deleted over 50 pictures from my camera and the computer. I have lost over 150 pictures of wildlife and dogs this past year with just one push of a button. Sadly, I don't know which button it was or how I did it. Barb has promised to teach me how to keep this from happening in the future. Trust me, Jake had some impressive stuff the last two weeks.

Today, Jake and I decided to go a little higher and scout out some turkey country and I figured I had better post the pictures before I lose them too. Although you can't hunt turkeys with dogs, I do my scouting with them because it's great exercise for both of us and a dog flushing the birds doesn't hurt your chances for calling them when the season opens. A lot of my turkey areas are also on the edge of chukar habitat, so we usually have a dual purpose to be on the mountain.

We didn't find any chukars or huns today but Jake found a small covey of quail. I tried to get a shot of Jake pointing as the birds flushed but was lucky to catch the back end of two quail as they flew off. I was sure Jake was centered there.

He was deadly on the grouse though. He had two points in the thick stuff, that I couldn't fight my way through without busting the birds. By the sound of them flying and their location I have to assume they were rough grouse. The third bird cooperated a little better. After weaving through the brush I got to Jake and his tree point.

I got another angle

and then took a close up of our feathered friend.

Since the bird was giving me plenty of time, I surveyed the situation as if it were hunting season and realized that if it were hunting season the only way to harvest that bird would have been to shoot it out of the tree. I think I'll stick to chukars and huns.

Although we didn't find any turkeys we did find enough sign to make a return visit. We did however have another exciting observation. Although we never saw this guy, he or she was on the mountain with us. These tracks were made earlier in the day.

My pocket knife is four inches long. The track was four inches wide and five inches long, not making it the largest wolf around, but big enough.

Jake even acted as if he wasn't to pleased about what he was smelling at times. He soon showed me why the wolf had chosen this area to travel.

We checked the area over, trying to surmise what might have happened. It was quite obvious that a wolf had been on the carcass but there was no sign of a struggle. It might have been a winter kill or possibly the wolf took it down earlier. Either way it's what nature produces. One thing that was very obvious is, the wolf was enjoying the spoils.

It seems like every day on the hill with Jake brings a new adventure. Sure wish Riley could have been here to enjoy it with us.

Between spring rains

It's a long time before the chukar opener, but there's still a lot of fun to be had on the mountain this time of the year.  First you have to be able to avoid some of these spring down pours. Being retired makes timing for that a little easier for me and gives me some pretty awesome times up there.

I know Matt Hutt and his PP Jack have been getting out on some training missions, with some success I might add, but most of the hunters haven't put their boots on since January 31st. Most hunters quit quite a while before that because the birds were harder to find. That's alright because there are lot's of other things to do outdoors besides chasing birds. But, what about your dog? Do you sometimes wonder why your dog doesn't find birds except on those years when the bird numbers are up and blame those who keep hunting them when the numbers seem down for taking too many birds? I'm not standing on a soap box right now, just defending the position I took with a good friend of mine over a cup of coffee a few days ago.

Several years back, this friend introduced his brit to chukar hunting. It was the best bird year I have ever seen. He had great success that year and was hooked, so he said. The next year wasn't quite as good and it didn't take long before he decided to kennel his dog while he fished for steelhead. The fish count was high. I understand how sportsmen feel and how many opportunities we have to be outdoors doing something different in Idaho. I just hope that ? understands that people like myself, who dedicates his or her time to one particular activity, aren't being selfish because he didn't see enough birds to keep hunting them. If the bird numbers seem down, it's because of Mother Nature, not the dedicated hunter that relentlessly chases his hounds.

With that being said, today I had another great opportunity to enjoy the outdoors with Jake while ? was on his way to Riggins for some fish. What made the day even better, was, a good friend of mine, John Carter, went on a business trip to Chicago and left his GSP, Neka, with me for a few days. As I mentioned, it wasn't raining so we took the opportunity to head up on the hill. Although I have had the good fortune to hunt around Neka, I have never been able to hunt behind her, nor has Jake. So I didn't really know what to expect.

First off, these two dogs spent the whole night last night playing grab ass and again this morning but, as soon as I put the collars on them and hit the mountain they were nothing but serious. To make it worse was after about five minutes Neka busted a small covey of quail, sending her into intense hunting mode and covering the ground like a grey hound. The astro's came in very handy today, having the two dogs three hundred yards to each side of me at times. I knew that was about the far end of Jake's range but wasn't sure about Neka, but was pleased to see her return with a quick whistle from me. From that point I was just interested in honoring from both dogs.

Our first chance came with this precarious point by Jake.

I zoomed back, as Neka approached Jake's point.

 I was a little disappointed as she didn't seem to acknowledge Jake's point and then the bird flushed. If you look hard you can see the bird taking off from the sage above them.

It's hard to know why she didn't back or if she even saw Jake. That's what's so much fun about being out with the dogs hunting and observing them. Trying to figure out what makes it work. Learning experience number one was gone with that pair of chukar.

The great thing about huns and chukars pairing up (every bird we saw today was paired) is that they try to get distance between each others pair. So, instead of finding a covey every half hour or so, you find a pair. It wasn't too long and Jake was caught honoring Neka but the birds flushed while I was moving into position to take the picture. Shortly after that my astro says both dogs on point. I was excited to see what was over the horizon. Neka has it figured out with a great honor.

Both dogs held well to my flush. But, just like with the gun, I was behind with the camera.

Throughout the day I never had another honor by Jake but had a couple by Neka, including a sitting honor.

The dogs put in 38 miles between the two of them and I had five fun filled miles, with points like this one from Neka,

 and this one of Jake.

I try and get in front of my dogs when shooting a gun or camera. Taking my time and trying to be calm helps the dog hold the birds. As I looked back at the series of pictures of Jake on this point I noticed in the background another hobby I like doing this time of the year. Finding sheds. I didn't see this one while I was on the hill but it is obvious in the above picture and this one.

Jake and I have been out at least 8 times since the season end and again with Neka today. Both dogs are laying here pretty tired right now, but with luck we'll be back out somewhere Friday for one last jaunt together before John retrieves Neka. It's such a great time to be out there if the rain allows and it's not harming the birds at all right now. We usually give them a break about the 15th of April to start nesting and laying eggs and hope that Mother Nature cooperates for the next three months. My friend who is up fishing right now might not think I'm doing the right thing, but Jake thinks I'm the best.

State of the Chukar address

Even with the bird season ending 11 days ago, I find myself walking the mountains with Jake on these good weather days. With a camera in hand, instead of a shotgun, we search for chukars that eluded us during the season. The bird numbers seemed down some to me this year and I was curious to see how this years after- season numbers compare to past February bird numbers. I have three different spots I go to each February and do a bird count along with taking some pictures of Jake, who never disappoints me with his thirst to find birds.

This is the State of the Chukar address instead of the State of the Union we had last month and hopefully a little more honest. Surprisingly, I saw more birds today than any of the past five years in this area in the month of February. All the birds, including huns, were in coveys. The coveys were no bigger than in the past, but I saw more coveys. Usually some of the huns are pairing up in February. But I found no pairs, but three coveys of five or more birds. The smallest covey of chukar I found was seven.

 I hunted this same area on the 30th day of December and saw half the number of birds that I found today, but there was 3 inches of new snow that day. As usual, I didn't see a bird for the first hour and a half. In fact, I didn't see a deer, coyote, or any other animal. The hills seemed almost dead without any movements or sounds. Finally, my Astro beeped that Jake was on point 163 yards away. I followed the compass to Jake and flushed a covey of 7 chukars.

From that point on we found chukar and hun droppings scattered almost everywhere. Jake had at least 10 points in the next hour and a half and 8 of them were definitely different coveys.

So, what does this mean to us chukar hunters? Probably not a damn thing, but just like our president does, I'll make up my own ideas as if they were the gospel truth. First off, there seem to be as many birds out there for breeding purposes as in the past. Probably because of the lack of participating by most bird hunters. Many of my friends who hunt chukars a dozen or more times a year only got out once or twice because they saw few birds and heard about the low numbers. They spent a little more time duck hunting and fishing. I'm sure many others decided it was too hard of work for too few birds, also proving that hunters self regulate hunting hours on low bird number years. Second,by the birds I got at the end of the season and the look of the birds I saw today, the birds are going into the spring in pretty good shape. Third, the grass is already green in many places which will help the birds get the nutrition they need for nesting success.

Hopefully, the weather will cooperate and start putting more moisture on the ground in the next few months and then taper off into the summer. If we can keep some decent green up during the summer, the insects will flourish and so will the chukar/hun chicks. We have a good base for a decent season next year, if mother nature cooperates.

Thank you for reading and God Bless Chukar Hunters and their Dogs.

Jake's first year

The 2013 bird season was a challenge to say the least. The challenge started the day I lost Riley, who besides being a great friend, was supposed to train Jake to the art of hunting chukar. It's been well over thirty years since I have had only one dog and I've always been able to count on my older dog to do my training for me Luckily, Riley got some spring training in with Jake, making my hunting season training pretty easy.

It's been so long since I had only one dog I'd forgot how much work it could be. Having two dogs should be more work than only having one, except in the case of upland dogs. For the most part, they are pretty high maintenance. Especially when it comes to there energy level. In the past, my boys always entertained each other and burned a lot of their energy chasing each other around or other dog games. Jake and Riley played a lot of the dog games until Riley broke his leg. Riley was then sentenced to a ten by ten room and I was in charge of entertaining Jake. That wasn't too much of a problem because I love any excuse to be in the hills. But it became a problem when I was confined because of my knee replacement. Jake still needed that play time and was constantly reminding me of that. Either get outside with me or I'll see what kind of trouble I can get into. For me, that was a good thing. I had to get outside with him at first with crutches and later with a cane. Jake helped me in my rehabilitation. In my opinion, it's harder to have one dog than it is two or three.

The last day of hunting season was yesterday, but Jake doesn't understand that. He still thinks we need to get out and burn some calories. So at least three times a week I'll try and find some mountain to climb with him. We'll spend a lot of time scouting and training to be a little better. I have to admit that Jake has been a fantastic trainee and for the most part gets it done without any of my help.

Jake turned 1 year old Jan. 15th and he had a great first year, even though it was shortened by my knee replacement. Even during that time we got out on some short hunts. We took up quail hunting one day because the terrain was less steep. Jake did very well on quail at first, with several great points. But, it wasn't long before he decided they were more fun to chase out of the trees and brush than pointing. From that point on, we would only go to quail spots for one or two points and then vacate before he started chasing again. Jake didn't really care to have quail in his mouth and I had to encourage him to get the bird all the way to me.

But, on chukars and huns he had it figured out. Early in his hunting career, Jake would break early on his points, but soon figured out that if he held point and let me flush the birds, it usually meant a bird in the mouth. He had well over 100 points on chukar and huns this year and I'd have to say he held 90% of them for me to flush. Jake loves to retrieve and understands what dead bird means. Sometimes he's watching a bird fly off that I'm not shooting at and with my help will relentlessly search for a dead bird. Jake's retrieving needs a little polishing. Sometimes he likes to drop the bird five or six feet from me and other times wants to parade along the side of me with his trophy. If he never does any better than that I'll be satisfied but we'll work on it anyhow.

Like most hunting dogs, his point is sometimes flawless, with a perfectly straight back and tale and head high. But at times he'll get caught between strides and his point isn't perfect but I get the idea anyhow. I think he might rival Tucker, who had one of the most majestic points in a dog I've ever owned.

Jake is the most playful dog I have ever owned. I guess that is because he is a single dog and play is one way of spending some energy. He loves playing with the other dogs, but when it comes to hunting his play stops. He has one thought on his mind and that is finding birds. His normal range is about 250 yards but once this year was on point at 477 yards which for me is a little long, since most of the country we hunt is so steep. The most miles he covered in one day this year was 33, and it was in steep country, and was ready to go again on the next day.

Two days ago we had our last hunt of the season. It was my first full day hunt since my operation and Jake's first day out in fresh snow. He adapted well and although we didn't find a lot of birds he held his points great for this slow poke to get to him. I wasn't sure about this point until he hadn't moved for two or three minutes and than i decided I'd better get up there.

Sure enough there were four birds for me to shoot at, which I proceeded to empty both barrels without seeing a feather move. Jake watched them fly off and got busy finding more birds. I figured my poor shooting was due to the camera hanging on my arm and decided maybe I should worry more about getting the birds and than taking pictures for Jake's sake. It didn't help a lot although we ended up with a couple of retrieves before the day was over. 

 In summary I'd have to say Jake had a great first year and when it is all said and done he's either going to make an old man out of me or a young man. I guess that is going to depend on my attitude for the next 10 years or so.

As far as the birds go for the year, I have to admit to seeing fewer birds this year than any since I began hunting chukars way back when. It might have been because Jake hasn't acquired the skills to locate birds yet or maybe it was just an off year. Even at that, we always found a good reason to be out chasing them and knew that there were more birds just over that mountain which we didn't have time to get to on that day. With Jake having one more year of maturity and the birds having a good hatch, I'm sure looking forward to opening day 2014.

Inversion

Jake and I headed out to the mountains yesterday in hopes to find some blue sky out of this inversion we're having. We figured maybe the Brownlee area might have some clear air with birds on the hill. Along the drive we soon found you had to be fairly high to get above the clouds. In fact about 4500 feet or so. The spot we were wanting to hunt was about 2500 feet so we were prepared for a long tall hike. As we parked, it was obvious that the clouds were moving up by the frost line. My thoughts tried to stay positive, telling Jake, "it looks like it might burn off."

So up into the frost we headed. I have to say it was pretty darn cold and seemed so lifeless as we walked higher. We passed through a couple of areas that usually hold a few birds with no success. Jake and I checked out this one rocky area that usually is a good roosting area for chukar sign but saw no fresh droppings at all.

At one point I heard some birds flush up in the fog but never saw them. After a couple of hours of cold walking, Jake's collar finally said "dog on point". Locating Jake in the fog was difficult but I found him on point and a slow relocate.

A half dozen or so huns took off and I crippled one as they buzzed by me. I don't know how Jake could even see the bird go down through the fog, but he took chase immediately past me and eventually came back with the hun.

From that time on we only had one more point. It was a single hun that almost hit me as it flushed. I knew Jake was on point close to me but I couldn't locate him in the thick frosty sage. When I finally found him, all I could see was a frosted head, motionless and aiming towards me. As I put the camera in my pocket, the bird flushed at my feet, never to be seen again.

I wanted to get above the fog but eventually gave up the notion of getting there. I knew that somewhere up above was a burnt off ridge with wildlife enjoying the warmth of the sun and green grass. Except for a couple of quick encounters, the world I was in seemed lifeless and dark. I know how the Alaskans must feel on these short light days. I enjoyed being out with Jake but have to admit, this dreary day wasn't much better than the cabin fever I'm getting.

As I returned back down the hill, I was happy to be out of the fog once again but there was a definite chill in my bones. The temperature was 21 degrees when I left the truck and it was 21 when I returned. My mustache had turned white from the frost and cold and the perspiration running down my back from the hike up, was now chilling me. Jake and I were both thankful for how soon the truck was putting out heat as we drove off.

Even below the fog we didn't see the countless number of deer or other game you usually see along the ride. The day just seemed dead. But, as usual, Mother Nature responded to my doldrums. Just about the time I was feeling a little bored this bachelor group of toms and jakes come walking out of the frozen creek. Jake and I watched them feed up the hill with new excitement. You know there still is a week left of the upland season and I'm sure the fog will soon be gone. After that we might have to come back here and scout these turkeys out.

Baby steps

Day 33 post knee replacement had me back on the hill for a short hunt. Although it was a little colder than I would have liked I found a burnt off hill that was pretty much sand. I'm still a little skiddish about trying to fight the mud or ice. Going straight up or down wasn't too hard but the side hilling got my attention quite often.

Jake was ready right out of the truck. He headed for the first brushy draw and locked on some quail.

Getting prepared to start chasing huns and chukars again I decided to pass on the shot and only flushed the birds. Jake took a short chase and then with a whistle and point by me he headed up the mountain. It didn't take long and he got his chukar legs back. As soon as we hit the open hillside he ranged out. At times he was almost 300 yards and at my speed it would have taken me forever to get to him.

Jake had two points. His first was a single hun, as far as I could tell, that busted wild. The second was a decent covey of chukars that busted just as I crested the hill. Being a little slow on the move I got one shot off and dropped a bird. The chukar dropped not twenty feet from Jake and the bird was at my feet before I could get my camera out of my pocket. Jake dropped the bird and headed in the direction of the covey.

I called Jake back before he could relocate the birds because my leg advised me to head back towards the truck. My knee was right and by the time we reached the truck I was bushed. Just over two miles and 400 feet in elevation felt like a full days hunt or more. What a great feeling!

At home I decided to take a picture of Jake and our bird. I didn't get to see the point or even prepare for the shot. The retrieve was so fast I didn't have time to appreciate it. The terrain wasn't all that steep and it wasn't that great of a shot. It was another day in the field for Jake, but it was a special bird for me.

It's about the dogs

It's been a pretty grueling month. I finally got out two days ago. It wasn't a chukar hunt but it just as well have been. Even knowing that I'd be lucky to last an hour I was as excited to be out there. I normally don't care to hunt quail only because of the terrain they like to inhabit. Thick brushy draws where they can sit up in the trees and scoff at the dogs. Dogs find it hard to hold point as the birds jump from branch to branch. But, today I felt it was just a treat to be out there with Jake.

There's a spot I chukar hunt once in a while and usually find quail at the base of the mountain. I was pleasingly surprised when I got there to find almost no snow. This time of the year usually has snow in the draws. The quail were there also. Jake had his first point within ten minutes of starting up the draw. I thought he had gone nuts because he was pointing a place I didn't figure on seeing birds.

I crested the knoll he was standing on and there were about thirty of the little buggers sprinting up the draw. They soon took flight and picked up another bunch about the same size. The turbo's fired up in Jake and he began covering the slope at like there was no tomorrow. He bumped several birds but also had some great points from quail hiding in the smallest clump of cheat.

I shot well and Jake was always in a hurry to get the bird back to me and spit it out. I don't think he cares for the fine feathers on quail.

Several times Jake would stop and listen to the chukars calling from way up the hill. I wanted to oblige him and head up after them but I knew better. One good tumble at this stage could undo all the good the Dr. has performed. So we stayed on the lower path and Jake did his thing.

Never would I have imagined being on the hill Dec. 28th after having a knee replacement the 4th of the same month. The Dr. might not be to happy with me, but God it felt good to be with Jake on the mountain. Even if it meant staying low.

The last month has been forever for Jake and myself, but I endured it mainly because of a few bird hunters that kept me posted on how things were out there. There were some success stories and some without as much success. I guess you can say all the stories kind of kept me in touch with the mountains.

I appreciate all the guys that kept me posted and as I look back at the last month I see what we all had in common. The love of our dogs. Not once was there a picture or a story that didn't something to do with a dog. Especially the young ones. They were stories about the great 400 yard retrieve from the pup that had to lay the bird down a half dozen times to catch his breath or how the pup finally learned how to honor. There was also the picture and story of the grey muzzled dog with what was probably his last limit of birds because the arthritis was taking him down. At twelve years old he and his master sat on the hill for a long time remembering all the good years they had had together. For all those stories and pictures, I thank you.

My little contribution a learning experience that Jake provided two days ago. I expected him to be pretty wild and still be out there 2 to 3 hundred yards because that's how we always hunt but instead he became a 100 yard dog and usually even closer. I don't know if it was because the birds were usually in thicker country or because I was so slow that he adjusted for me. To be honest, I don't really care what the reason. It was just a pleasure to hunt behind my dog who loves to hunt for me.

A side note. I just got a letter from one of the hunters that has been entertaining me with his stories for the last month. Jordan lost one of his dog hunting companions this weekend. Aggie was a great partner to Jordan and his wife. I hope you will all join me and say a prayer for the Oyler families loss.

Good news

I wish the news was that I was back out on the hill with Jake. Not so, but maybe this is the second best thing.

I'm getting some reports and stories from some that are positive for you chukar hunters. Yes, there are still birds out there. Although Matt Hutt didn't have much luck on his outings( he admits that they were just short workout hunts for Jack),

he's still thinking positive and looking forward to hunting some areas that have more birds. I never get tired of looking at his dog, Jack. No, he's not a GSP but a PP.

 

The Nevada area must still have some pretty good hunting as Abbey, a nine year old pointer proves in this picture.

Her hunting partner, Joe Corolla, says the hunting has been pretty lean but finding birds is possible with good dogs. He mentioned all his great dogs of the past and what they have meant to him. I believe he and Abbey  know what they are talking about.

Jordan Oyler came through for the Utah area. His stories of seeing up to 100 birds in a day do my heart good. How he got to the birds didn't make my knee feel quite so good, though. Snow chains on your boots is a sure sign of a dedicated chukar hunter. He reported places that had 18 inches of snow and the chukar tracks were thick. Amazing how those birds know where to be, but vacate when need be. But old pros like Jordan's ol shorthair

always seem to get the job done. Jordan's days quite often end like this with hard work and good dogs.

Eastern Oregon is also producing birds. My hunting partner Greg Allen called me Sunday for his report. He has been hunting with two girls mostly this year. Trudi is six and Katie has just turned a year old. Greg says he's finding birds and getting some real acceptable dog work, Katie is learning to honor and having a little bit of a problem with crippled birds. The same one most of us have. Dropping the bird too soon and the chase begins again. Greg says with training aspect he's not killing as many birds as he could but the possibilities are there for a limit. Even with the birds being pretty wild he's coming home with 4 birds or better a day.

For the more adventurous, Allan Howell in Homer Alaska says there are plenty of ptarmigan to shoot for those who like to travel on snowshoes or snow machine. The real plus of chasing birds up there this time of year is the big bears are sleeping. I mean the BIG bears. Maybe that's why Allan hunts with a GSP that weighs 110 lbs. That isn't a misprint and Mays looks to be in pretty darn good shape.

 

Bottom line is, the birds are out there. These guys prove it. With only 45 days left in the season and holidays taking some of them up, you'd better get those pups into as much action as possible. It would be a great Christmas present to them. My Christmas present was Jake learning to read so that I could relay all this information to you.

Love to visit

Hey Matt, Joss, Alan and the rest who have tried to have somewhat of a conversation with me. I don't know how to do that through my blog but I have finally figured out how to post your pictures. I love B.S.n about the birds and hounds. Use my email szurgot@frontiernet.net and we should be able to do some bird talking. Lord knows, I need to start passing these rehabbing times quicker.

A Perfect Hunt

Hunts like the one I am about to tell you about come along very few times in life. Everything goes so well you think you're in a dream. You wake up and you're ready to hit the mountain. No driving time and you know that nobody else is here because you're at the end of the road. As the sun arises you can see off into the distance that seems to have no end, and that's in every direction. There is a definite bite to the air as you put a light jacket on under your game vest. By mid day the light dusting of snow will be melted and the jacket will be strapped on the back of your game vest which you are hoping is filled with birds.

The calmness of the morning is shortly interrupted by the excitement of dogs as the truck door is opened. The dogs waste no time checking out the terrain around the truck and fertilizing the grounds and soon have marked every spot where they think another canine might pass by. The collars come out and the dogs almost run over you waiting to get them on. Their shivering is not because of the crisp air but more from the excitement of what the collars mean. It's time to find some birds.

The truck doors are closed and the dogs are off to the mountain. You are a little slower getting going because of the beautiful surroundings you are seeing. All the different colors on the trees, the rock formations, the snow covered pine trees in the high country, the semi fog covered reservoir below, and the miles of draws that present themselves for your pleasure if you are crazy enough to hike the treacherous slopes to get to them. One last stop to listen to a distant howl of a coyote and it's time to catch up to the canines.

I think I had one of those hunts today. I'm not positive, but the visions are imbedded in my mind and all I have to do is shut my eyes to help remember the great day. The boys usually like to hunt uphill and today was no different. I could hear the chatter of chukars warning each other of the intruders on their mountain. I was sure the boys could hear their chuckles and would be off in that direction. Before long my Astro alerted me to a dog on point. I glanced down at it and saw I had 250 yards of uphill climbing to get to the point. Although the mountain was steep my energy seemed endless and I felt like I was gliding up the hill.

I crested the ridge and found Tucker locked tight. His high tail that puffed on the tip was sure sign that the birds were there. I paused for a couple of moments to take in his beauty. What a magnificent animal surrounded by the beauty of the hill. As the birds flushed I carefully picked a bird and dropped it. Everything was perfect. The shouldering of the gun along with the swing and report seemed effortless. Tucker was soon gone to find another bird after he retrieved this one to me.

Within short order my Astro was informing of another point. The distance was about the same but the elevation was a little less. The air was extremely pure because my body felt little resistance in getting to the dogs. I must have been breathing pure oxygen. I was not at all surprised to find Tucker locked up again but this time with Dakota honoring his point. What a great team the two of them make. When they're locked in like this you can bet on there being a covey of chukars. I can't tell you how many thousands of times I'd seen this in the past. As I slipped into position, Dakota broke point and slowly moved into position to triangulate the covey. He loves having the birds trapped and sometimes goes fifty yards out of his way to do so. With Tucker still locked in, Dakota finally reestablishes his point. Once again the shots seem so effortless. Almost like I'm not even firing the gun, just looking at the birds as two fall from the sky with two shots. I could tell each dog knew which bird was his as they headed down the hill and fetched them back to me. Wow! Seeing the two of them retrieving birds together is a sight I'll never get tired of. They are the best team of chukar dogs I have ever seen.

Traveling up and down the terrain was effortless. I've never felt so strong on the mountain. I was excited to see what I would encounter on the next mountain and was in a deep trance of the beauty of chukar hunting when my Astro once again showed "dog on point". With the same ease of motion I was upon two pointing dogs once again. This time my big boy, Riley, was honoring the squat point of Dakota. It would've been easy to miss Dakota if the tall Riley hadn't been standing twenty yards behind on point. Once again I effortlessly moved in positions on the two motionless dogs and watched two birds fall to the earth. One crippled and one stone dead. Riley on cue, took the dead bird and Dakota was off chasing the cripple. It must have gone 300 yards down the steep slope. I couldn't see Dakota because he was out of sight but I could hear the excited barking he exhibited while chasing cripples. Soon the noise subsided and up the hill
came Dakota bird in mouth. I couldn't believe with all the ground we had covered that we were all looking and feeling so strong. Everything was effortlessly done.

The excitement continued with yet another alert from my Astro. It had only been 15 minutes since the last point and we were heading down hill now. I can't remember the last time I moved downhill like this without one of my knee's giving me problems but it was like going down hill in soft sand. I can't tell you how wonderful it felt to get to Riley on point with Jake honoring him and I wasn't hurting. Especially with all the ground we had covered. As Riley always did, he stood tall on point, not moving a muscle. Jakes honor seemed to be in awe of the wonderful point. What a great feeling for a pup to be able to hunt with such a perfect partner as Riley. The birds flushed as I approached and just as the previous three times two birds fell to the earth. Jake was first to me with his bird and couldn't quit running circles around me showing off his bird. Riley brought his bird straight up the hill to me and placed the bird at my feet. Jake than relinquished his bird at the same spot. Never feeling or shooting this well before after a long hike I was wanting to make the hunt longer but knew with only one more bird to get I should head towards the truck.

Not far from the truck I was alerted to yet one more point. I never checked the Astro to see how far I had gone and didn't need to. I was feeling great and knew I could go forever if need be. Soon I found  Jake on point by himself with the birds a little above him. It was a beautiful point that looked more like a well seasoned dog than a ten month old puppy. He didn't move a muscle as I worked my way to his right. The birds busted and I dropped one uphill from Jake. I can't remember the last time shooting was that effortless. As I took the retrieved bird from Jake I looked up on the hill to see Tucker, Dakota, and Riley watching Jake become a hunting dog. As we loaded into the truck, Jake and I took one last look up the hill to thank God for a wonderful day.

As I awoke, Dr. Moore said the operation went just fine.

Good Luck Big Guy

Well, Big Guy tomorrows the big day. You're finally going to get that knee replacement. You thought you'd get away without a last word by me. Well, I had a pretty darn good season and I don't mind saying so. I talked you into getting that new camera and I know people would like to see me do my thing.

The last two months have been fantastic. Even with your gimping and whining we've had a good time. You've been a pitiful sight but I pulled you through the year.

I've decided to put some pictures together for you. I am hoping they'll encourage you to rehabilitate hard and get better fast. It's going to be very boring for me while you go through your rehab. I sure wish Riley were still here for me to play with. Like you, I miss him a whole bunch. I wish I could have seen him do all the things you talk about when we're on the hill. He must have been one heck of a hunting dog. I remember this spring when you took this picture and remarked these two are going to bring me bucket loads of chukar instead of gold.

We sure had some good times in our short time together. I'm sure he's up in heaven wishing you the best also.

I sure appreciate all the hunting time on the hill since bird season began. We had a ball didn't we? I think I've been real patient with you and you've come a long way. The last three weeks have been tough for me watching you hobble around on the mountain, but I know how much you love it, so I put up with your whining. Hopefully, you'll be back in top shape for spring training. I put these pictures of the last three weeks together for you to reminisce of great times to come. I know if I were hurting they would help me hurry up and get better, so please toughen up and get it done.

Because your memory is getting so poor, I'm going to walk you through most of these photographs. It's getting so bad that you left the lunch Barbara made us a few days ago. Both you and I were starving on the way home from our hunt because you forgot the lunch. Hell, I remember you almost tripped over it on the way out the door and still didn't put it in the truck. Maybe you've put too many miles on the hill for your brain also.

Remember this point? You sure took your time getting to me. I remember thinking "Can you hurry it up a little. Just because some birds flew already that doesn't mean there aren't more here". Sometimes I can't style up like you'd like and I get stuck in these weird positions waiting for ol slowpoke to get to me. At least you shot well at the straggler.

And how about that foggy day.

I swear, I was up out of the fog at least 15 minutes before you finally appeared through it. But it was worth the wait. You yelled at me to slow down because your muscles were still stiff. I don't understand humans. You'd think they would be faster learners with as much education they get. Watch us animals. Have you ever heard us complain about being stiff when we start a hike? No, because we always stretch when we get out of the truck. I have never seen you stretch on a hunt to loosen the muscles. Also, have you noticed how we always lighten the load as we begin our trek? Enough said about that.

Those birds were ready to break but I found a way to calm them before you finally arrived. I was even getting cold standing there on point for ten minutes.

 That was a pretty good shot you made. I didn't even mind that retrieve. Bringing a dead bird from uphill fifty yards is easy compared to most of those straight uphill retrieves. I don't think you understand what that takes out of a dog. It's fun chasing the cripple down but hard bringing it back up the hill when you're out of breath. Maybe you should use that time to stretch instead of saying "atta boy". I got the message with the first retrieve over a month ago.

And how about those points looking back at you. Remember, even though my head is up high, if it looks like I might be on point than I probably am on point. Hint, if the wind is at your back in these situation than it is my face. Start moving towards me and quit scratching your ..... head. Those birds aren't going to sit there forever. Also, maybe your shooting would improve if you trust my point instead of walking up half asleep.

Maybe next year you can leave the camera at home for a while. It gets a little bit frustrating when I let you take a picture and than you start moving in to take a closer picture

and then you miss the birds.  I get a little discouraged watching those kind of birds fly off. I've even contemplated calling your doctor to see if he could do some improvements on your trigger finger and shooting eye but figured let's just get one thing at a time accomplished.

Although I try to always let you get this close the birds don't always cooperate. So please don't miss shots like this. In this case you made a good shot which, and as usual,

I retrieve. You later take credit for the bird and I understand. That's what I'm here for.

 

With all your screw ups we still had a pretty darn good day. We do make a pretty good team.

 

Speaking of doing good. Remember the day we got this limit? I was on fire wasn't I. Sure, you'll get the credit at home but let's be honest about who really did the work. Like this point.

 

Sure it wasn't the most stylish point in the world, but you didn't hear me saying anything about taking two shots to kill the bird.

The country was a lot flatter that day and you moved better than usual. If I could, I'd like to ask if you'll not approach my point from behind. I've seen some good shooting from you but I've also seen some questionable shots, so I'd rather you come in from the side or front so I can watch and see if I need to dive for cover.

Also coming in from behind shows your lack of confidence in me. I know the country sometimes is open but just trust me. The nose doesn't lie. See what I mean.

I'm hoping by the time you recover from your knee replacement you realize I'm not a puppy anymore and will quit calling me that in front of your friends. I think you do that so that everyone thinks you're the great hunter. Remember, you'd probably get nothing if it wasn't for me. I am almost one year old and already a master of my trade. Remember the hunt with Greg and his two girls?  I think male dogs have better noses than those women.

I must admit that I was pretty impressive. Man, was I styling that day. We call them bitches but I still like impressing them.

I thought you did a pretty good job yourself. Especially since you some of your shells had no shot in them. That explained why I didn't see many feathers falling from the sky. That reminds me, quit yelling "how did I miss that shot"? Everyone is wondering the same thing without you blurting remarks.

3 for 10. Maybe you can explain what that means to me one day while you're rehabilitating. I mean your leg not your head. I had so many great points like these that day I figured you'd surely  be happy with your bag limit.

Trudi and Katie were so impressed with my style they let me use them as pillows to soften the ride home. I think they look at me as quite the stud. Sometimes it's nice being the only guy around.

And remember that hunt over at. Oh! I forgot. I'm not supposed to mention that spot. It's supposed to be a secret. I can't believe you don't trust me more than you do. Blindfolding me is a little too much.

How would you like it if I blindfolded you before I pointed the birds? Wouldn't be much of a team game, would it?

 

Maybe I'll start hiding the birds and play hide and seek with you. That would sure make the day a long one. Imagine, with your nose trying to find a dead bird. Ha!

Talk about finding a needle in a haystack. You'd be lucky be looking until the rotted dead bird smell started. Your family would starve to death if we counted on you finding dead birds.

I think it would be better if you trusted me not to tell other dogs about your hot spots and I'll keep doing what I do best. Making you look good. That's not as easy as it sounds either.

I point, you shoot,

and I retrieve. Even if it is a hun.

Remember, I point, you shoot,

and I retrieve.

point and shot

Retrieve. I hope we've got that straight now. Seems a little bit unfair though. I do two things to your one. All you do is pull the trigger. But, you do pay for the gas, etc. so I can live with that. You also feed me and are a darn good friend to have around. You even let me pack a bird around when we take a break on the hill. Sometimes it's just nice to show off my trophy. I don't know why you are always in such a hurry to get the bird in your bag.

By the way, quit panicking every time you see my standing on a cliff of rocks. I have super good balance. I wouldn't do anything that would put our fun times to a halt. I hope you'll be careful too. I probably only have ten or eleven more seasons to hunt hard and we don't want to lose any more time than we're going to lose in the next two months. Looking at these pictures and remembering how much fun we have had together makes me sad we're going to miss the next two months. Man, we have had fun. I know I make fun of you but you're such an easy target. I have to admit it's fun to watch you hobble towards my far away points. You look like Chester on those old Gunsmoke reruns.

You look like you are hurting pretty bad at times. Those are the times I am proudest to fetch the bird to you. You have to really love chukar hunting to walk these hills feeling the way you do.

I know a few times I might be getting a little too far out there. I don't like doing that to you but the birds are so few this year I have out get out there to find them. It's in my blood. I wouldn't have to go so far if there were more birds. Ya, that's me out there 300 yards on point.

I can honestly say that after a long walk like this I am really proud of you when you shoot a double. I will always gladly fetch those birds, especially when you have worked so hard just to get to my point. That's another thing for you to put into your memory bank. Trust me and take your time getting to my point and you'll shoot better.

Man, just looking at these pictures make it sad to see this season end. But if this is a down year, like you said, I can't imagine what the years ahead are going to be like. I pray that Dr. Moore gets you back up on your feet quickly. In fact I wish he could give you bionic knees. Wouldn't we be a threat to the chukar world then. Thank you for the wonderful year. I'll miss you while you're at the hospital but you don't have to send me to Dr. Koob while you're gone. Having me neutered so we'll both be out of operation for a few days is a little much. As usual I'm getting the short end of this deal also. At least you're getting a knee replacement. I'm losing two things permanently.  I'm taking back my promise not to jump on you when you get back from the hospital.

Just remember my great points and the beautiful country 

and we'll soon be back on the hill this spring practicing our pointing ability.

Man, I love chukar hunting

GOOD LUCK BIG GUY